Anyone see the BBC america show top gear recently? They compared the covertible (and also mentioned the coupe) crossfire with the audi TT and the nissan Z ragtops, out of three guys, two hated the crossfire, one kind of liked it, but he too pretty much ripped it a new one, saying its a cheap piece of crap with 15000 parts all made by the lowest bidder, but then I though, he is from the country that gave the world the MG, Triumps, Jag and Land Rover (all quite sound cars hehehe) and the prince of darkeness itself, Lucas lightening, so how sound can his opinion really be?

 

If it's Jeremy Clarkson, he also ripped the car in a review a while back (see youtube.com). On the other hand, his "character" seems to be to rip on everything. At least he didn't blow it up or launch it from a catapult (again, on youtube)!

 

Thanks Anthony, yes,I saw the u tube piece,he compared the style/form of thecoupe to a dog taking a crap or hurling, dont remember which one, anyway, I will as I do most opinions from the tube and just ignore it, that is, until my coupe suddenly pulls to the side of the road and takes a dump without my assistance I did find the commet re 15000 parts all supplied by the lowest bidder a bit odd, which seems to overlook the entire engine and drive assembly, I'd stack up the MB engine any day of the week against the quality and realiability of any Landrover/rangerover product, which consumer reports gave the top dog (next to chrysler) as the worst car makers in the world, granted, the xfire is about as far away from a generic chrysler as one can get. I drove in a 50k land rover a few months ago, mold lines/seams on the interior and didn't impress me a bit, but then, ohh well, I digress.

 

I looked at both those cars before buying the xf. General maintenance (like brakes) on the TT will send you to the poorhouse and the Z vert is hands down, the ugliest contraption on the road.

On the other hand, everybody I know (expecially the babes) absolutely loves my xf.

 

At the end of the show, they were all sitting in an Icelandic 'pub' discussing the cars, and Jeremy said that even with its 'shortcomings', he liked the Crossfire roadster more than the 350z and the TT. He said he liked the looks and the comfort better than the other two - quite a turnaround for him...

 

Yeah, but he may have been a bit "looped" on vodka, still, I love the car, despite the reasons others give/gave for hating it, in the end, all those little reasons added up to 15K off of the sticker price, sweet enough that I bought my 07 cash~! gotta love all those bad reasons~!

--Beep, I didnt realize how pricey the TT was to maintain, a friend of a friend had a new porsche in for a routine service, set him back 4K, now that hurts!

 

yeah, Jeremy said the coopay looked like a dog hunching over taking a poo, and the expense of some cars to maintain... well... umm... that is why "Factory" car mechanics make considerably more than aircraft mechanics... go figure...

Seannon

 

So he's one of those "I Love You Man!" kind drunks... Either that or his inhibitions fell away (or he forgot which company put the change in his bank account)...

The point is, drivers get used to what they drive most. Take them away from that to drive something different and most likely they will not initially like what they are "testing out". This is especially true of people who have a vehicle that for them represents no compromise. They have the means to get exactly what they want, cost no object, and feel in their heart of hearts there is no better vehicle on the planet. It takes a very mature reviewer to be able to distance themselves from their own vehicle and make objective evaluations of cars being reviewed. I do not think Jeremy is such an individual. It also seems if he is in a bad mood, he is even more critical - another sign he should be announcing Wrestling matches and not reviewing cars.

My own experience helped me reach this conclusion:

I used to think one could be objective in assessing vehicles. I have found that after driving one or another of the three cars in our household that going to another car initially surfaces what appear to be shortcomings in the vehicle I change to.

For example, after driving the Crossfire for days or even weeks, I get into the Jeep Commander. WHAM! This thing "corners like a truck". Well, yeah, it is a truck... This thing has seats like benches on a picnic table. They certainly don't hug my fat a$$ like the Crossfire. I feel like I'm sitting on top of a large rock. Well, at three tons and with the 4WD suspension, of course... One thing that doesn't disappoint is the response from the "go" pedal. The HEMI throws that thing forward like it was weightless. And what happened to the clutch pedal...

Then I might end up driving the Wrangler for the weekend. Oh boy. Where'd the power go? (It's got a 6-cyl 5sp but the vehicle is heavily armored, has oversized tires, and 1:4.56 gears...). The interior is as soundproof and weatherproof as a railcar. The lockers make every application or discontinuance of power a true adventure. Sometimes I forget myself and go looking for sixth gear (Crossfire habit) where they put Reverse in the Wrangler...

But something funny happens. After driving for an extended period, I find that all the handling "quirks" dissolve. I can throw the Commander around corners without noticing the lateral G's. The seats start to feel really good. In the Wrangler (which I purpose-built for aggressive off-road use) I can literally "Go Anywhere - Anytime", and nobody seems to be very interested in tailgating an armor-clad civilian war wagon.

Which brings me back to the Crossfire. After driving either one of those two, getting into the Crossfire is like getting into a cocoon. The seats wrap, the whole interior envelopes. It's like putting on a tailored suit. The responsiveness on power feels much better than the other two because of the lower weight and different gearing. The cornering is so much better it makes going around most corners at 2X recommended speed feel like a non-event.

Depending on the mood I'm in, I could on any given day tell you one of these three is my favorite vehicle. Yesterday I went on a drive up to Ohiopyle State Park. I had been driving the Jeep all weekend and wanted to have some fun driving curvy roads. I was not disappointed. Brand new pavement and well maked road lines and I was in restrained heaven. Then I got to Ohiopyle and suddenly I was bemoaning the fact that the 4WD lever and the gears and armor were missing because an interesting trail was calling me...So I turned the Crossfire around and squirted back home to make myself forget - and it worked. I had a big smile all the way.

 

Each to their own opinion. I watch the show because I find it very entertaining - I certainly don't have to agree with everything that is said - especially as, based on your location, things like price comparisons are null and void (or like me, you bought second hand - wow they depreciate here in Oz - $40000 in 3 years!).

I can't believe we have the old recirculating ball instead of rack and pinion, but what sold me on the Crossfire, what keeps me enchanted, is the stunning looks. They are just beautiful from every angle. Okay, so the styling is not everyone's cup of tea - but certainly everyone's here on the forum!

 

The looks are what sold me, I once said to an friend of mine who collects art deco pieces that the car from the rear has a very "art deco" appeal/look to it, and one member put it spot on, it looks like an "art deco artillery shell", couldn't have put it better, but it is what drew me to the car in 04, kept me interested, and four years later, still kept me longing for one enough to buy one, if that isn't the pull of a true "classic" in the making, then I don't know what it. I do know when Jeremy said (so funny) the "coopay" looked like a dog taking a po, I wanted to throw my Guiness at the TV, he sure comes off as an arrogant ****

 

Good points all!

 

Hear it from the UK - a true story.
Clarkson rips into anything that:

• Is not rear or mid engined
• Is an "american" sports car (says the yanks cant make sports cars)?
• Is without rack and pinion steering
• Does not have a Buggatti Badge
• Does not have a noisy exhaust

The guys quite funny and has a dry sense of humor, a typical English buffoon (idiot). But the real reason he slagged off the Xfire was that Chrysler refused to pay for his whole family expenses at the original press launch, despite his insistance and foot stamping. He is not an authority on the car, and holds no influence here in the UK. Note also that despite Clarkson; all the Xfires that came into the UK for the first 18 months were pre sold. Not a bad start in my book!
Steve - UK

 

I guess that really showed them huh? Kept us all from buying the car!

I wondered why he was so comprehensively negative about the car in his You-Tube reviews. I could not imagine why he could not find at least one thing to like. I guess having to pay his own way soured his "objectivity".

 

Boy, life must really suck to be him when people don't pay for your family to go on a juncket, he strikes me as a guy that would steal the hotel towels and robes to boot! Well, that solves the question as to why when he gave his review on youtube he looked like a dog taking his morning poo, or at least had the attitude of a dog that was not able to take his morning poo! I guess he is entertaining and an entainer, and that's why hes on TV, and that pretty much sums up his opinions!

 

Great points, all around Steve! I wasn't aware of the news regarding all of the English pre-solds! THIS is a great forum. I'm currently in the market for a Crossfire over here in America. I'll be checking out an 04 Silver Blue coupe this week. ("coo-pay"! Do the English REALLY pronounce it this way?). LOVE the pics of your ride. Very nice indeed!

Monty

 

The Best thing about Clarkson's Coo-pay review is the soundtrack music by Chris Issak.....Love the Crossfire.....Love Issak.......Hate Clarkson.......Would love to throw some "Crossfire Poo" at him! The End.

Monty

 

Don't feel bad about Clarkson's review. He gives anything American a bad review. The only American car that has gotten a good review on that show was the Ford GT.

 

Did you see the show where he got his own personal Ford GT delivered? He couldn't get it started, then couldn't keep it running...they had to work on it like 3 times -- it was hilarious. He looked sick that his all-time dream car was such a mess.

 

HA! Yes, I did see that! Ah, so much for being "the master of all he surveys!" What a tool.

Monty

 

I saw that. The car was eventually sent back to Ford and the issue was tracked down to a poorly installed aftermarket alarm on the car. He got a new Ford GT after that one, and I haven't heard any issues about the second one.